Bowling target guide kit and methods thereof

ABSTRACT

Tools including target guides and methods of using the target guides are provided, that assist a bowler in aligning shots in a game of bowling. Moreover, the tools and techniques of the present invention can be arranged in a kit form whereby certain components described more fully herein are packaged together. The target guide provides calculations that allow a bowler to align a shot so as to home in on any target, angle, and desired break point.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to devices and methods forimproving bowling scores, and in particular to tools including targetguides and methods of using the target guides for lining up shots in agame of bowling.

In a conventional bowling game, a bowler throws a bowling ball down awooden or synthetic lane in an attempt to knock over bowling pinsarranged at the opposite end of the lane. In a typical game, such as tenpin bowling, a bowler throws a first ball at 10 pins arranged in atriangular pattern. If all 10 pins are knocked down on the firstattempt, a “strike” is declared and the bowler's turn is completed. If,on the other hand, one or more pins remain standing after the bowlerthrows the first ball, the bowler gets a second chance to knock down theremaining pins. If, on the second try, a bowler knocks down all of thepins that remain standing, a “spare” is declared.

The number of pins knocked down including the number of strikes andspares obtained by a bowler, and the order in which the strikes andspares are obtained, affect the bowler's overall score. Moreover, theamount of points derived when a bowler scores a strike or spare isdetermined, at least in part, by the scores obtained on subsequentshots. As such, a skilled bowler can outscore a non-skilled bowler quitequickly.

Beginners to the game of bowling often start out using a bowlingtechnique whereby a bowling ball is launched generally straight down abowling lane. Bowling straight shots is conceptually easy grasp and canresult in moderate degrees of success, particularly when bowling at thetop of a frame. However, this approach has shortcomings, especially whena bowler attempts to make certain spare combinations. More advancedbowlers use a technique whereby a rotation, or spin is put on the ball.Using this technique, a bowler can direct the bowling ball to curve intothe pins at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bowlinglane. This approach allows bowlers to target specific pockets betweenpins, and provides a greater degree of flexibility to the bowler whentrying to pick up difficult spare combinations.

Proper positioning of the ball as the ball approaches the pins dependson a number of factors, including for example, the initial lateralpositioning of the ball when launched down the lane, the angle withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the bowling lane that the bowlingball is thrown, the action (the spin or rotation placed upon the ball asit is released by a bowler), the amount of oil and the position of theoil on the lane, the aridness of the bowling alley on a particular day,and generally, the physical composition and condition of the lanesthemselves. Because of the myriad of factors that affect how a lanereacts on a given day, it is neither trivial nor intuitive to grasp atechnique that will yield consistent results, even after a bowlerdevelops the technique for applying spin to the bowling ball.

Accordingly, there is a need for systems and tools including targetguides, and methods thereof that provide instructions to bowlers of awide variety of skill levels that assist a bowler in aligning theirshots.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of previously knowntechniques for bowling by providing tools including target guides andmethods of using the target guides that provide guidance as to how toalign shots in a game of bowling. Moreover, the tools and techniques ofthe present invention can be arranged in a kit form whereby certaincomponents described more fully herein are packaged together.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a target guide isprovided that assists in helping a bowler accurately line up a shot.Essentially, the target guide shows a bowler where to release the balland what to target in their shot to achieve a desired breakpoint asdefined herein. The target guide may further optionally instruct abowler where to position oneself in order to obtain a desired releasepoint when bowling a shot.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a kit ofcomponents is provided that includes a target guide to assist a bowlerin aligning a shot, and accompanying instructions materials. Theinstruction materials may include for example, printed materials, videorecorded materials, computer-based materials such as instructions,including any combination of written, visual and audible, on compactdisk or other computer readable medium. The instructions may include forexample, methods of determining the drift of a bowler taking a shot andthe arm swing of a bowler taking a shot.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a target guide isprovided that includes pre-computed target points that allow a bowler toalign a shot towards any target, angle and desired breakpoint.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention can be best understood when read in conjunction withthe following drawings, where like structure is indicated with likereference numerals, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the bowling target guide system accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of a typical bowling lane with largeportions of the lane cut away for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a setup aspect according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure for determining thedrift of a bowler according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partial view of the approach section of atypical bowling lane illustrating various positions of a sliding foot ofa bowler used for determining drift according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure for determining therelease point of a bowler according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary partial view of the approach section of atypical bowling lane illustrating various positions of a sliding foot ofa bowler used for determining the release point according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of a typical bowling lane illustrating an exemplarytarget point and an exemplary break point according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 9A is an exemplary layout for a bowling shot target guide accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9B is a top view of an exemplary layout for a bowling shot targetguide, which may be useful for spare shots;

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a kit of components for aassisting a bowler in aligning bowling shots according to an embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a top view of an exemplary worksheet that may be used withvarious methods herein, or in combination with a kit of materials suchas the kit schematically illustrated in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments,reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof,and in which is shown by way of illustration, and not by way oflimitation, specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may bepracticed. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand that changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 is provided to assist a bowler inprecisely lining up a shot. When used properly, the system 10 defines abowling target guide that is based upon precise calculations and enablesa bowler to line up and hit any target, angle, and desired breakpoint.It should be clearly pointed out that the effectiveness and results ofthe present invention may vary from bowler to bowler depending forexample, upon how consistent a particular bowler is. The presentinvention is not a substitute for practice and the bowler shouldcontinue to strive for consistency when practicing the presentinvention.

The system 10 comprises a setup aspect 12, which is implemented toidentify certain characteristic traits, including the approach and swingthat are unique to that particular bowler. Once the setup aspect 12 iscomplete, a bowler uses the targeting guide 14 to identify how to lineup a shot.

A typical bowling lane includes a generally elongate, rectangularplaying surface that has a longitudinal dimension in excess of 75 feet(22.8 meters) and a lateral dimension just under 4 feet (1.2 meters).Referring to FIG. 2, only those sections of a bowling lane 20 that arenecessary to facilitate the discussion herein are shown. Note that thedimensions of the lane 20 are grossly exaggerated to clarify thedescription below. The lane 20 is approximately 4042 inches (101.6 to106.68 centimeters) wide and comprises 39 wooden or synthetic planks 22,each plank 22 dimensioned slightly over one inch (2.54) centimeterswide. Gutters 24, 26 typically flank either side of the lane 20. Forpurposes of this discussion, the lane 20 is generally delineated intothree basic sections. A first section 28, which is also referred toherein as the approach section 28, defines an area where the bowlershoots the ball. A foul line 30 divides the approach section 28 from asecond section 32, which is also referred to herein as the lane section32. At the end of the lane 20 opposite the approach section 28 is athird section 34, which is also referred to herein as a pin section 34.The pin section 34 defines that portion of the lane 20 where bowlingpins 36 are set up. The basic idea of bowling is for a bowler to launcha bowling ball from the approach section 28 such that the bowling balltravels down the lane section 32 to the pin section 34 in an attempt toknock over as many bowling pins 36 as possible.

The length of the approach section 28 may vary slightly across differentbowling alleys. However, the approach section 28 is typically in excessof 15 feet (4.5 meters) in length. The approach section 28 includes afirst set of approach dots 38 positioned typically 12 feet (3.6 meters)from the foul line 30. As shown, the first set of approach dots 38comprises seven dots, although some lanes may have only five dots. A dotis placed on the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth board from both edges, anda center dot, which is larger than the others of the first set ofapproach dots 38, is positioned on the twentieth (center) board. Asecond set of approach dots 40 are positioned 15 feet (4.6 meters) fromthe foul line 28. As with the first set of approach dots 38, the secondset of approach dots 40 includes seven dots, one dot on the fifth, tenthand fifteenth boards from both edges, and one dot on the twentieth board(center) board. Again, some lanes may have only 5 dots. A third set ofapproach dots 41 are provided just inside the foul line 30, again, onedot on the fifth, tenth and fifteenth boards from both edges, and onedot on the twentieth board (center) board.

The lane section 32 may optionally include a third set of dots 42proximate to the foul line 30. The third set of dots 42 are typicallylocated on the third, fifth, eighth, eleventh and fourteenth board ascounted from both edges. Additionally, a set of arrows 44 are positioned15 feet (4.6 meters) from the foul line 30. An arrow appears on everyfifth board. Moreover, the arrows 44 are frequently staggered into anarrowhead shape so that a bowler can discriminate between adjacentarrows more easily. The lane section 32 is 60 feet (18.3 meters) long asmeasured from the foul line 30 to a head pin 46 of the bowling pins 36in the pin section 34. The pin section 34 is where the bowling pins 36are arranged. At the top of each frame, the bowling pins 36 aretypically arranged in a triangular pattern consisting of 10 bowling pins36.

All lanes play differently so a bowler must adjust to the lanecharacteristics. The conditions of the lane section can vary widely,even on the same lane from day to day. This phenomenon is due to anumber of factors. For example, the lane section includes patterns ofoil on the lane surface. The amount of oil, and the pattern of the oilon the lane surface will affect how the ball reacts as the ball rollsdown the lane. Also, environmental conditions such as temperature andhumidity affect lane conditions.

Referring back to FIG. 1, to optimize the success of the certainembodiments of the invention herein, the setup aspect 12 should beproperly completed. Referring to FIG. 3, a setup 50 is flowchartedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

The first aspect of the setup 50 is a warm up at 52. While certainly notrequired, it has been found that taking a few practice warm up shotsbefore performing any of the other steps herein may improve the resultsobtained using the present invention. The warm up shots will typicallyassist the bowler in becoming loose so that the steps followed hereinare more consistent with their typical bowling technique. It should bepointed out that the consistency of the bowler can have an effect uponthe success of the setup process. It has been found that bowlers can beinconsistent not only during the course of bowling a game, but also fromday to day. As such, a bowler may opt to periodically repeat the setup50 to verify that the determined parameters for the techniques describedherein are still accurate.

After a suitable warm up 50, the drift of the bowler is determined at54. The drift is a basic measure of how far a bowler shifts laterallyacross the lane when delivering a bowling ball. The next step of the setup 50 is to determine the arm swing release distance at 56. The armswing release distance defines a lateral offset measured across a widthof the bowling lane from a sliding foot of the bowler to a point atwhich the bowling ball is released from a hand of the bowler.

Referring to FIG. 4, a method 60 is provided for determining the driftof a bowler according to an embodiment of the present invention. Todetermine whether a bowler has drift, and to measure the amount ofdrift, the bowler selects a starting point and lines up thereat at 62.The starting point can be virtually anywhere on the lane, but ispreferably somewhere in the approach area of a lane. The bowler thenbowls a ball down the lane using their typical approach at 64. At theend of the approach, after the bowler has released the ball, a finishingpoint is acknowledged at 66. Once the finishing point has beenacknowledged, the drift of the bowler is easily determined from thelateral distance across the lane that the bowler shifted from thestarting point to the finishing point at 68. The method 60 may berepeated as necessary to ensure that the correct drift of the bowler isdetermined.

FIG. 5 illustrates one exemplary approach to implementing the method 60discussed with reference to FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 5, to determine anamount of drift, the bowler places their sliding foot 80 next to apredetermined one of the boards 22 in the lane 20. The predeterminedposition is illustrated in FIG. 5 is generally designated as a startingpoint (SP). While any board may be used, indeed, any position within thelane 20 may be used, selecting a board at or near the twentieth board isa convenient reference point because it is the center board, and isgenerally easily identified by the relatively larger circular marker inboth the first and second sets of approach dots.

The sliding foot 80 of a bowler is the foot opposite the hand in whichthe bowler delivers the ball when bowling. For example, a typicalright-handed bowler will bowl the bowling ball with their right hand.Under such circumstances, the left foot is usually the sliding foot 80.Alternatively, a bowler who delivers the ball with their left hand willtypically use their right foot as their sliding foot. A right foot asthe sliding foot is designated in FIG. 5 as the phantom footprint 82adjacent to the starting point SP. One convenient starting point SP isthe 20^(th) board. To define a starting point of the 20^(th) board, theright handed bowler would place their sliding foot (left foot) so as tobe positioned next to the 19^(th) board counting from the right. A lefthanded bowler would correspondingly place the sliding foot (right foot)next to the 19^(th) board counting from the left.

As one illustrative example, the right-handed bowler places theirsliding foot 80 (left foot in this instance) such that the twentiethboard is just to the right of the sliding foot. That is, the bowler isactually standing with the left foot on the twenty first board countingfrom the right, thus the starting point SP is 21 (from the right). Aleft-handed bowler would stand such that the twentieth board is just tothe left of the sliding foot 82 (right foot in this instance). That is,the bowler is standing with the right foot on the twenty first boardcounting from the left thus the starting point is 21 (from the left).After suitably positioning oneself, the bowler executes a shot usingtheir typical approach. After releasing the bowling ball, the positionof the sliding foot 80 or 82 is acknowledged. The final position of thebowler is designated herein as the finishing point (FP).

In one exemplary approach shown in FIG. 5, the right-handed bowler (leftsliding foot 80) has a left drift of 6 boards. The left-handed bowlerillustrated in phantom lines as sliding foot 82, has a right drift ofthree boards in this illustrative example. Of course, the drift, whetherright or left will vary from bowler to bowler. Moreover, not allright-handed bowlers will drift left as illustrated. The bowler maydrift right, left, or exhibit no drift at all, irrespective of whetherthe bowler uses their right or left hand to deliver the bowling ball.Moreover, the finishing point may not necessarily end perfectly at theedge of a board. Under such circumstances, the drift can be furtherrepresented in partial board widths, using for example, eitherfractional or decimal designations. For example, a split board, referredto herein as (SB) can be used to abbreviate a half board width, that is,a position between two adjacent boards.

Regardless of direction of the drift, if any, the drift is expressed asa relative displacement from the starting point. For example, the leftsliding foot 80 (right-handed bowler) started at board 20, but ended upat board 26 counting the boards from right to left, and thus has a driftof 6 boards left. Similarly, the right sliding foot 82 (left-handedbowler started at board 20, but ended up at board 17 counting right toleft, and thus has a drift of 3 boards right. Moreover, while thegeneral terms left drift and right drift are used herein, these termsare used merely for convenience sake and serve as a readily recognizedindication of the lateral change and direction of the finishing pointwith respect to the starting point.

As a pure matter of convenience, drift to the left is assigned apositive polarity, and drift to the right is assigned a negativepolarity for right-handed bowlers. The opposite polarities are assignedfor left-handed bowlers as summarized in table 1 below. TABLE 1 Driftpolarity BOWLER DRIFT LEFT DRIFT RIGHT Right-Handed (−) designation (+)designation Left-Handed (+) designation (−) designation

Under certain circumstances, the determination of drift may be repeateda number of times. The number of repeated measurements will depend upona number of factors including for example, the consistency of thebowler. The drift may comprise for example, an average based upon anumber of trials, or the bowler may settle into a consistentlyrepeatable drift, in which case, the drift will be the measurementsettled into after a number of repetitions. Of course, any number ofother statistical measures may be used to determine drift where repeatedtrials are performed.

Referring back to FIG. 3, in addition to determining the drift at 54,the arm swing release distance of the bowler must be determined at 56.For sake of simplicity herein, the arm swing release distance will bedesignated as a relative measure of the lateral distance from the finishpoint of the bowler to approximately the position of the hand of thebowler as the bowling ball is released. As a general rule of thumb, thearm swing release distance for a typical right-handed bowler has beenfound to be approximately five to six board lengths to the right of thefinishing point of the sliding foot of the bowler. Similarly, therelease point of a typical left-handed bowler has been found to beapproximately five to six boards to the left of the finishing point ofthe sliding foot of the bowler.

Referring to FIG. 6, a method 90 is provided for determining the armswing release distance of a bowler. Basically, a release point isselected at 92. The release point is the lateral position that a bowlerwishes to deliver the bowling ball. Next, an initial arm swing releasedistance is assumed at 94. The assumed arm swing release distance isfactored in to the release point at 96 and the previously determineddrift of the bowler is factored into the release point at step 98. Afterthe arm swing release distance and drift of the bowler have beenfactored into the determination of the release point, the starting pointof the bowler to achieve the delivery of the bowling ball to the releasepoint is realized. Starting at the computed starting point, the bowlerbowls the ball down the lane at 100. If the arm swing release distanceof the bowler is indeed the initial, assumed arm swing release distance,the ball should travel generally down the designated release point. Anyvariance to the right or left of the release point is due to anincorrect assumption in the arm swing release distance of the bowler,and the arm swing release distance is appropriately corrected at 102.

Referring to FIG. 7, an example of one approach is provided forimplementing the method 90 described with reference to FIG. 6. Again, arelease point (designated RP) is established. Any arbitrary position onthe lane 20 can be used. However, for the sake of discussion herein, therelease point for a right-handed bowler will arbitrarily chosen to liealong the tenth board as counted from the right hand side of the lane20. In a parallel manner, the release point for a left-handed bowler isarbitrarily chosen to be the tenth board when counting from the lefthand side of the lane 20.

The selection of the tenth board from the respective end of the lane 20is generally arbitrary, and is chosen as a matter of convenience andfamiliarity to many bowlers. However, to determine whether a shot isaligned with the release point, it is convenient to have a readilyidentifiable way to determine precisely where (laterally) the ball isreleased. While any position along the lane may be used in thedetermination of the release point, it is convenient to use the arrows44 in the lane portion as a measure of the release point of the bowler.In the example shown, the tenth board from the end will be used, and thebowler will thus target the second arrow in the lane section 22. Anyother arrow or other position within the lane may alternatively be usedof course. The second arrow from either end is the most common target atthe arrows used to generate some angle of the ball as it hits the pins.Moreover, the tenth board usually allows plenty of room to accommodatefor typical drift.

As illustrated, a right-handed bowler will target the tenth board, andcorresponding second arrow as counted from the right hand side of thelane. A left-handed bowler, illustrated in phantom lines, will targetthe tenth board as counted from the left, and corresponding second arrowfrom the left of the lane section. To hit the desired release point, thebowler needs to know where to start their approach. Because we assumethat the typical arm swing release distance varies laterally about fiveboards from the release point of a bowler, this will become our defaultstarting arm swing release distance. A bowler can also preferablycompensate for their previously determined drift to derive at a suitablestarting position.

For example, assume that a bowler has selected a release point straightdown the tenth board. Further, assume that the bowler has no drift and arelease point of five boards. Under such circumstances, the right-handedbowler would line up such that the fifteenth board as counted from theright hand side of the lane is just to the right of the sliding foot ofthe bowler. Correspondingly, a left-handed bowler with no drift wouldstart at the fifteenth board as counted from the left to bowl straightdown the tenth board (second arrow) as counted from the left.

However, where a bowler has drift, the drift must be accounted for. Thecompensation for drift can be expressed generally, as:SP=RP+ASPD+DRIFT  (1)

-   -   where SP designates the starting point of the bowler, RP is the        release point where the bowling ball is intended to be released,        ASRD is the arm swing release distance of the ball relative to        the finishing point of the bowler, and DRIFT is the relative        direction and distance of drift of the bowler from the starting        point to the finishing point of the bowler's approach when        taking a shot. For convenience sake, each of the above variables        will be expressed as a count of the number of boards from a        select end of the lane. For a right-handed bowler, it is        convenient to count boards starting from the right hand edge        working left. For left-handed bowlers, it is often convenient to        count boards from the left moving towards the right.

To use formula (1) above correctly, the drift must have the appropriatepolarity as illustrated in table 1. Of course, formula 1 can beexpressed in numerous different formats. So long as the correct startingpoint is realized, it is immaterial whether drift left is consideredpositive or negative. The above-suggested polarities are merely chosenout of convenience and provide a commonsensical approach to determiningthe starting point.

To see how the formula (1) works with table 1 herein, assume a releasepoint of the tenth board. Also, assume that a right-handed bowler has aleft drift of 6 boards (DRIFT=6 boards left or −6), such as theexemplary right-handed bowler described with reference to FIG. 4. Stillfurther, assume that the arm swing release distance for the bowler isfive (5) boards. The starting point (SP) for that bowler to bowl astraight line down the tenth board (RP) or second arrow as counted fromthe right hand side of the lane, is:SP=10^(th) board (RP)+5 boards (ASRD)+(−6) boards (Left DRIFT)=9^(th)board.

Accordingly, it should be clear that to compensate for drift, theright-handed bowler increases the number of boards from the right handside of the lane if the bowler has right hand drift, and decreases thenumber of boards from the right hand side of the lane if the bowler hasa left hand drift.

The bowler in the present example, aligns the starting point (SP) bypositioning the sliding foot 80 just to the left of the eight board toachieve a starting point of the ninth board and bowls the ball. Recallthat we assumed that the bowler has an arm swing release distance offive boards. The bowler may in fact, have an arm swing release distancethat is greater or less than five boards. Once the ball is released, theposition of the ball relative to the second arrow (tenth board) isobserved. If the ball travels straight down the tenth board and secondarrow, the bowler does indeed have a release point of five boards. Ifthe ball travels to the right of the tenth board and second arrow, thenthe bowler has an arm swing release distance greater than five boards.On the other hand, if the ball travels to the left of the tenth boardand second arrow, then the bowler has an arm swing release distance lessthan five boards. The bowler thus adjusts the starting point relative tothe difference between the ball and the tenth board. For example, if theball traveled down the ninth board, then the bowler has an arm swingrelease distance of six boards. To verify this, the bowler canreposition the sliding foot 80, this time to the left of the ninth board(SP of tenth board) and bowl again.SP=10^(th) board+6 boards arm swing release distance+(−6 boarddrift)=10^(th) board starting position.

This time, given a drift of six boards left and an arm swing releasedistance of six boards, the bowling ball should travel straight down thetenth board. The above determination of the arm swing release distancecan be repeated as necessary to properly determine the release point ofthe bowler. Moreover, for optimal performance improvement of the presentinvention, the bowler should strive for consistency in the drift andrelease point achieved during each approach when taking shots.

As a second example, the left-handed bowler shown in phantom in FIG. 4had a drift of three (3) boards right. As such, first assume an armswing release distance of 5 boards. Again, the starting determination ofthe release point is arbitrary and could be any value, but assume arelease point of the tenth board as counted from the left hand side ofthe lane. The starting point of the left-handed bowler should thus be:SP=RP+ASRD+DRIFT=10^(th) board+5 boards+(−3 boards)=12^(th) board.

Recall that the left-handed bowler counts boards from the left, oppositethat of the right-handed bowler, who counts boards from the right. Thebowler aligns the sliding foot 82 on the starting point, or eleventhboard from the left, bowls, and watches to see what board the balltravels down. If the ball travels straight down the tenth board from theleft, the bowler has an arm swing release distance of five (5) boards.If the bowling ball traveled to the left of the second arrow from theleft, then the bowler has an arm swing release distance greater than 5.On the other hand, if the bowling ball traveled to the right of thesecond arrow from the left, then the bowler has an arm swing releasedistance less than five (5) boards. Assume for example, that the bowlingball rolled straight down the eleventh board from the left. Then theleft-handed bowler has a release point of four (4) boards.

Now that the Drift and release point of the bowler have been determined,the target guide of the present invention may be used. Referring to FIG.8, before describing the target guide, some additional definitions willbe helpful. To bowl consistently, it is often helpful to use aconsistent frame of reference to target shots. As such, the inventionherein uses a target position (designated TP) that can be any arbitraryposition in the lane area 32. However, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention, the target point TP is convenient, consistent fromlane to lane, and easy to visually identify. for example, the targetpoint may be defined as a point along a plane that crosses the lanesection 32 laterally at the point (tip) of the centermost arrow 44 (onthe twentieth board). A reference with respect to the arrows 44 isgenerally convenient because the distance of the arrows 44 in the lanesection 32 from the foul line 30 are generally consistent from bowlingalley to bowling alley, thus a familiar reference will be established.This location can of course, be any other point in the lane section 32however. Moreover, for the sake of a clear disclosure, the target point(TP) is defined along an imaginary line that runs linearly and laterallyacross the lane. However, the target position need not be a linearimaginary line.

The other necessary location to identify is the break point, denoted(BP). Unlike traditional methods that discuss break point as thelongitudinal distance down the lane where the ball begins to break, theinvention recognizes that an exact longitudinal measurement to thebreakpoint cannot be expressed for all lanes under all conditions. Thebreak point is affected by lane conditions such as humidity, oilconditions and other factors mentioned more fully herein. According toan embodiment of the present invention, the breakpoint is expressed as alateral position across the lane approximately where the ball willbreak. With this approach, the longitudinal distance of exactly wherethe bowling ball breaks is not critical. For sake of convenience, thelateral position for the break point is determined by counting boards inthe lane.

Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, a target guide 120 according to anembodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Briefly, a targetguide 120 identifies target points for a plurality of release points anda plurality of break points in combination, which are pre-computed andstored in a table 122. The target guide 120 is embodied as a fixed mediasuch as a card, stock material or other easily transportable substratehaving printed thereon, a table. For example, the target guide can be aprinted paper substrate that is laminated for protection and durability,where the substrate is approximately the size of a business card. Thetarget guide 120 can, of course, be printed on any sized substrate andthe table 122 can be broken across multiple pages or substrates. Thedimensions of the fixed media are not important to the function of thepresent invention, however, a small media is more readily transportableand discrete.

The target guide 120 provides the table 122 that is used to align shots.The table 122 comprises a first column 124 that defines the releasepoint, expressed in the illustrated example, in the number of boards(from the right for right-handed bowlers, and from the left forleft-handed bowlers). For example, for a right-handed bowler, a value of‘4’ indicates that the bowler should release the ball at the fourthboard as counted from the right.

A second column 126 on the table 122 moving towards the right, is thestarting point. The starting point is where the bowler needs to stand todeliver the bowling ball at the release point identified in the firstcolumn 124 in the corresponding row. The starting point for each row inthe table 122 is computed according to the specific drift and arm swingrelease distance for a particular bowler and can be filled into thetable 122 after the appropriate parameters have been determined. Theremainder of the table 122 includes a plurality of break point columns128.

The break point columns 128 represent specific desired break points. Asshown, there are 17 columns representing 17 break points, each breakpoint representing a lateral position across a bowling lane identifiedby a count of boards. For example, a break point of ‘2’ means that thebowler wants the bowling ball to break towards the pocket at the secondboard from the edge (right edge for right-handed bowlers and left edgefor left-handed bowlers).

The data in the table 122 at the intersection of a particular one of theplurality of release points and a particular one of the plurality ofbreak points, defines a target point. The target point is what thebowler will actually aim for, such as a point designated along animaginary line across the tip of the arrow on the 20^(th) board asdescribed with reference to FIG. 8 above. It should be pointed out that17 columns representing the first 17 boards (counted from the right handedge for right-handed bowlers and counted from the left hand edge forleft handed bowlers) is generally sufficient for the bowler to align anappropriate strike ball. The table 122 can be readily continued usingfor example, the same pattern across all 39 boards to provide alignmentfor spares etc. as shown in FIG. 9B.

Referring to FIG. 9B, the table 122 discussed with reference to FIG. 9Ais continued out for breakpoints 18 through 39. Such breakpoints provideadditional targets for different spare combinations that may arise. Itshould be clear that the tables shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B can be providedas a single table, or as multiple tables as the specific applicationdictates. Moreover, if multiple tables are provided, a select one ormore of the tables can be packaged with the kit described with referenceto FIG. 10.

The values in the table 122 were determined experimentally based uponthe goal of finding the break point that the bowling ball reaches, butgenerally goes no further. It is generally undesirable to overshoot thebreak point, especially when the break point is near the edge, such asthe first few boards. Through experimentation, it has been found that bysetting the target point as an imaginary line across the tip of thearrow on the 20^(th) board, it turns out that the target point fallslaterally approximately midway between the release point and the breakpoint. Of course, if the longitudinal distance to the target line ischanged, then the values in the table 122 may require a suitableadjustment.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, based upon theabove observation of the relationship between the breakpoint, therelease point, and the target point, different target locations can bedetermined empirically using well-known mathematical formulas.

The key to achieving high scores on today's bowling conditions isreaching the correct breakpoint at the proper angle. Once a bowler'srelease point and drift have been determined, the alignment systemaccording to the various embodiments of the present invention takes overand helps the bowler become more accurate. According to an embodiment ofthe present invention, the target guide shows a bowler where to standand what target to look at to achieve the correct break point on thelanes on a given day. Of course, to achieve the optimal results usingthe table 122, the bowler must strive for consistency in their approach,drift and relative release points. This can only be achieved by asuitable amount of practice. As an example, the break on the bowlingball will vary depending upon lane conditions. As such, the bowlerselects a break point and a starting point and bowls a shot. If the shotis either heavy or light in the pocket, the bowler can make adjustments,either to the starting position, or to the selected break point. Oncethe bowler locks into the strike zone, i.e. finds the combination ofbreak point and starting point for a particular lane on a particularday, consistent shots can be made.

Referring to FIG. 10, the target guide and methods herein can bepackaged as a kit 140 of components comprising an instructional tool.The kit 140 may include for example, the table 122 discussed in moredetail with reference to FIG. 9, one or more charts 142 for helping thebowler keep track of their drift and arm swing release distance, a videodemonstration of the techniques described herein, such as can beprovided on VHS cassette, compact disk, laser disk or any other videoformat. The kit 140 may also optionally include computerimplementations. Although shown schematically as a desktop computer andPDA for exemplary platforms, it shall be appreciated that any aspectherein can be arranged on any computer platform.

Moreover, instead of, or in combination with the table 122, a computerimplemented approach can compute and output various target, start pointand release point combinations. Convenience to the user will of course,dictate the appropriate format for the delivery of such information.

Referring to FIG. 11, an exemplary worksheet 142 is provided to befilled out while a bowler determines their drift and arm swing releasedistance. The top half of the worksheet is an exemplary format thatassists a bowler in determining drift, such as by the methods describedherein with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The bottom portion of theworksheet 142 provides an exemplary format that assists a bowler indetermining arm swing release distance, such as by the methods describedherein with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

Having described the invention in detail and by reference to preferredembodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications andvariations are possible without departing from the scope of theinvention defined in the appended claims.

1. A target guide for assisting a bowler in aligning a shot comprising:first indicia defining at least one release point, where each releasepoint comprises a position laterally across a width of a bowling lanewhere a bowler aims to release a bowling ball; second indicia definingat least one break point, where each break point comprises a positionlaterally across said width of said bowling lane where said bowlerwishes said bowling ball to break direction of travel as said bowlingball travels down said bowling lane; and third indicia defining at leastone target point where a select one of said target points defines apredetermined position on said bowling lane that corresponds to a selectone of said release points and a select one of said break points,wherein said bowler targets said select one of said break points byaiming for said select one of said target points and bowling so as togenerally achieve said select one of said release points.
 2. The targetguide according to claim 1, wherein said at least one release point,said at least one break point, and said at least one target point areorganized in a table recorded on a substrate.
 3. The target guideaccording to claim 2, wherein: said at least one release point comprisesa plurality of release points, each release point corresponding to aselect board as counted from an edge of said bowling lane; said at leastone break point comprises a plurality of break points, each break pointcorresponding to a select board as counted from said edge of saidbowling lane; and said at least one target point comprises a pluralityof target points, each target point corresponding to a select board ascounted from said edge of said bowling lane.
 4. The target guideaccording to claim 1, wherein each of said target points falls along animaginary line that crosses said bowling lane laterally.
 5. The targetguide according to claim 4, wherein said imaginary line is defined as alateral line that crosses a tip of an arrow on the twentieth board insaid bowling lane.
 6. The target guide according to claim 1, furthercomprising a starting point associated with each release point thatidentifies where said bowler should start said shot so as to end upgenerally at a corresponding release point.
 7. The target guideaccording to claim 6, wherein said starting points account for a lateraldrift of said bowler.
 8. The target guide according to claim 6, whereinsaid starting points account for an arm swing release distance of saidbowler.
 9. The target guide according to claim 6, wherein a bowlercomputes the starting points for each corresponding release point basedupon a drift and an arm swing release distance that is unique to thatbowler.
 10. A target guide for assisting a bowler in aligning a shotcomprising: a table recorded onto a substrate, said table comprising: aplurality of release points, where each release point comprises aposition laterally across a width of a bowling lane where a bowler aimsto release a bowling ball; a plurality of break points, where each breakpoint comprises a position laterally across said width of said bowlinglane where said bowler wishes said bowling ball to break direction oftravel as said bowling ball travels down said bowling lane; and aplurality of target points, where a select one of said target pointsdefines a predetermined position on said bowling lane that correspondsto a select one of said release points and a select one of said breakpoints, wherein said bowler targets said select one of said break pointsby aiming for said select one of said target points and bowling fromsaid select one of said release points.
 11. The target guide accordingto claim 10, wherein a target point is provided for each combination ofrelease points and break points.
 12. The target guide according to claim10, wherein each of said target points falls along an imaginary linethat crosses said bowling lane laterally.
 13. The target guide accordingto claim 12, wherein said imaginary line is defined as a lateral linethat crosses a tip of an arrow on the twentieth board in said bowlinglane.
 14. The target guide according to claim 13, wherein said targetpoint is a lateral distance that is substantially one half the lateraldistance from said release point to said break point.
 15. A bowling toolfor assisting a bowler in aligning a bowling shot comprising: a targetguide comprising a fixed medium having thereon, a table comprising aplurality of release points and a plurality of break points incombination with corresponding target points wherein: each said releasepoint is defined as a position measured generally across a width of abowling lane where a bowler intends to release a bowling ball down saidbowling lane; each said break point is defined as a position measuredgenerally across said width of said bowling lane where said bowlerintends said bowling ball to break towards bowling pins standing on saidbowling lane; each said target point is defined as a position along atarget line between a foul line and said bowling pins that would becrossed by said bowling ball when said bowling ball is delivered from aselect one of said plurality of release points to a select one of saidplurality of break points; said bowling tool adapted to be used by saidbowler to direct said bowler how to make a shot by having said bowlerchose a select one of said plurality of release points on said fixedmedium, and a select one of said plurality of break points on said fixedmedium, wherein cross referencing said select one of said plurality ofrelease points with said select one of said plurality of break pointsidentifies a select target point to aim for from said select releasepoint to make said select shot.
 16. A kit of instructions for teaching abowling technique comprising: a target guide for assisting a bowler inaligning a shot comprising: first indicia defining at least one releasepoint, where each release point comprises a position laterally across awidth of a bowling lane where a bowler aims to deliver a bowling ball;second indicia defining at least one break point, where each break pointcomprises a position laterally across said width of said bowling lanewhere said bowler wishes said bowling ball to break direction of travelas said bowling ball travels down said bowling lane; and third indiciadefining at least one target point where a select one of said targetpoints defines a predetermined position on said bowling lane thatcorresponds to a select one of said release points and a select one ofsaid break points, wherein said bowler targets said select one of saidbreak points by aiming for said select one of said target points andbowling from said select one of said release points; a first worksheetfor assisting a bowler in determining the drift of said bowler; a secondworksheet for assisting said bowler in determining an arm swing releasedistance of said bowler; a first set of instructions arranged toillustrate the computation of a starting position of said bowler thatcorresponds to a desired release point on said target guide; and avisual guide stored on a fixed medium that includes video examples ofhow to use said target guide and said first and second worksheets.
 17. Amethod of creating a target guide for assisting bowlers in aligning ashot in a game of bowling comprising: defining a target line on abowling lane; predetermining a plurality of measurements, eachmeasurement defining a position along said target line that associates aselect position measured laterally across said bowling lane where abowler releases a bowling ball to a select break point measuredlaterally across said lane where said bowler intends said bowling ballto break; and storing said plurality of measurements on a fixed media assaid target guide.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein abowler uses said target guide comprising: selecting a desired releasepoint for said shot; selecting a desired break point for said shot;identifying a select one of said plurality of measurements thatcorresponds to said desired release point and said desired break point;and bowling said shot by aiming for said select one of said plurality ofmeasurements.
 19. A method for improving the accuracy of aim in a gameof bowling comprising: defining a release point on a bowling lane as aposition measured generally across a width of said bowling lane where abowler intends to release a bowling ball down said bowling lane;defining a break point on a bowling lane as a lateral position measuredacross a break line of said bowling lane; identifying a target lineacross said bowling lane between a foul line and bowling pins of saidbowling lane; for a plurality of combinations of release points andbreak points: determining a target position defined as a point alongsaid target line crossed by said bowling ball when said bowling ball isdelivered from a select one of said plurality of release points to aselect one of said plurality of break points; and storing on a fixedmedia said select one of said plurality of release points, said selectone of said plurality of break points, and said target position; andaligning a shot by: selecting a first release point from said pluralityof release points stored on said fixed media; selecting a firstbreakpoint from said plurality of break points stored on said fixedmedia; identifying a first target position on said fixed mediacorresponding to said first release point and said first break point;bowling a shot by releasing said bowling ball at said release point andaiming for said first target position.
 20. A method of teaching a bowlerhow to align a bowling shot comprising: defining a release point on abowling lane as a position measured generally across a width of saidbowling lane where a bowler intends to release a bowling ball down saidbowling lane; defining a break point on a bowling lane as a positionmeasured generally across said width of said bowling lane where saidbowler intends said bowling ball to break towards bowling pins standingon said bowling lane; identifying a target line across said bowling lanebetween a foul line and said bowling pins; for a plurality of releasepoints and a plurality of break points in combination: predetermining atarget point defined as a position along said target line that would becrossed by said bowling ball when said bowling ball is delivered from aselect one of said plurality of release points to a select one of saidplurality of break points; and storing on a fixed media said select oneof said plurality of release points, said select one of said pluralityof break points, and said target point; and instructing a bowler how totake a shot by: selecting a first one of said plurality of releasepoints from said fixed media; selecting a first one of said plurality ofbreak points from said fixed media; identifying a first target point onsaid fixed media corresponding to said first one of said release pointsand said first one of said plurality of break points; and bowling so asto release said bowling ball at said first one of said plurality ofrelease points and aiming for said first target point.
 21. The methodaccording to claim 20, further comprising storing at least a portion ofsaid plurality of break points as column headings for a table on saidfixed media;
 22. The method according to claim 21, further comprisingstoring at least a portion of said plurality of release points as rowsof said table.
 23. The method according to claim 22, wherein each targetpoint is stored in said table at a location identified by a rowassociated with a corresponding one of said plurality of release pointsand a column associated with a corresponding one of said plurality ofbreak points.
 24. The method according to claim 20, further comprisingdetermining a drift of said bowler during a typical approach of saidbowler when bowling, wherein said drift is a measure of lateral movementof said bowler across said bowling lane from a start of said approach tothe completion of said approach.
 25. The method according to claim 24,wherein said drift is determined by: identifying a starting point of asliding foot of said bowler before starting said approach; allowing saidbowler to bowl using said typical approach; identifying a finishingpoint of said sliding foot after said typical approach; and determiningdistance measured generally laterally from said starting point to saidfinishing point.
 26. The method according to claim 24, wherein saidstarting point and said finishing point are identified by countingboards that make up the construction of said bowling lane.
 27. Themethod according to claim 26, wherein said starting point comprises saidtwentieth board.
 28. The method according to claim 26, wherein saidsliding foot is placed just to the left of a select one of said boardsif said bowler is a right-handed bowler, and said sliding foot is placedjust to the right of said select one of said boards if said bowler is aleft-handed bowler.
 29. The method according to claim 24, wherein saiddrift is determined for a plurality of trials, wherein results of saidtrails are considered in selecting a final drift.
 30. The methodaccording to claim 24, further comprising determining a relative droppoint of said bowler during said typical approach where said relativedrop point defines a lateral offset measured across a width of saidbowling lane from a sliding foot of said bowler to a point at which saidbowling ball is released from a hand of said bowler.
 31. The methodaccording to claim 30, wherein a starting point is determined for eachof said plurality of release points.
 32. The method according to claim31, wherein said starting point is determined by factoring both saiddrift of said bowler and said relative drop point of said bowler to saidstarting point.